advertisement

Softball: Krauch comes in clutch at plate, in field to help Batavia edge Geneva

Kenzie Krauch wanted to make sure left field was a no-fly zone.

After Batavia secured a 4-2 lead over Geneva in the bottom of the fifth inning, the junior made certain there wasn’t a ball that either dropped in front of her or went over her head.

“I was really committed to making sure nothing would drop,” Krauch said. “I was going to do anything to catch a ball that came near me. I was ready to go all out.”

And in the sixth inning, she proved it when it mattered most.

The junior made two acrobatic catches in the frame, including one with the tying run on third base to help the Bulldogs preserve a 4-3 lead, which they would carry to secure the rivalry game victory over the Vikings.

“Kenzie is an amazing outfielder,” Batavia coach Torry Pryor said. “She made some diving catches coming in and some running catches going left and right. She’s got a nice arm also. She’s been doing it all for us.”

Krauch gave the Bulldogs (6-14, 1-7 DuKane Conference) the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning. After Ellie Swanson kicked off the inning with a double, Krauch drove her home with a screaming RBI single to left field to make it 3-2.

“I was just thinking that I needed to hit a good, hard ball up the middle or on the corner so that I could get her in,” Krauch said. “I was a little nervous, but it felt pretty good to be able to do that.”

Krauch would go on to score later in the inning on a sacrifice fly from senior Gwen Shouse. It was the second time Krauch was driven in by the North Central College commit, with the junior scoring on her RBI double in the first inning.

“We did a great job hitting, a good job pitching and had some nice defense,” Pryor said. “We’ve been competing in every game trying to hang in there with everyone in this tough conference. And no matter who you face, you’re playing someone tough, and it’s always going to be a fun game.”

The Vikings (6-14, 0-8) didn’t go down without a fight. The Vikings put up a run in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings and had the tying run on second base in the seventh, but couldn’t get the key hit to take the lead.

“This is always a good game against Batavia, because we’re pretty evenly matched,” Geneva coach Annie Plackett said. “We didn’t come out hitting as strongly as we could have. We made adjustments, but by the time we made them and tried to string our hits together, it was a little too late.”

The Vikings had four batters finish the day with multiple hits, including junior Megan O’Connor, who had the team’s only extra basehit with an RBI double. Caroline Winsininski and Madison Gates also added an RBI.

“We just need the confidence to know that we can hang with teams and that they can hit the ball when they want to and when they are more prescribed in it,” Plackett said. “Then they can also make the plays they need to defensively, and overall it’ll help them play their best softball.”

Geneva's Kat Cerwin reaches for Batavia's Mackenzie Krauch as she safely slides into third base during a game on Tuesday, May 6, 2025 in Batavia. Sandy Bressner/Shaw Local News Network
Batavia's Amira Mendoza makes a catch in the outfield during a game on Tuesday, May 6, 2025 against Geneva in Batavia. Sandy Bressner/Shaw Local News Network
Batavia's Sydney Stepina hits the ball during a game on Tuesday, May 6, 2025 against Geneva in Batavia. Sandy Bressner/Shaw Local News Network
Geneva's Clara Lyons makes a catch in the outfield during a game on Tuesday, May 6, 2025 against Batavia in Batavia. Sandy Bressner/Shaw Local News Network
Geneva's Sloane Fisher runs home for a run during a game on Tuesday, May 6, 2025 against Batavia in Batavia. Sandy Bressner/Shaw Local News Network
Batavia's Leah Paganelis makes a catch during a game on Tuesday, May 6, 2025 against Geneva in Batavia. Sandy Bressner/Shaw Local News Network
Geneva's Madison Gates pitches during a game on Tuesday, May 6, 2025 against Batavia in Batavia. Sandy Bressner/Shaw Local News Network
Batavia's Mackenzie Krauch leads off from third base during a game on Tuesday, May 6, 2025 against Geneva in Batavia. Sandy Bressner/Shaw Local News Network
Batavia's Lexi Coonrod throws to first after getting Geneva's Kylie Gates out at second during a game on Tuesday, May 6, 2025 in Batavia. Sandy Bressner/Shaw Local News Network
Geneva's Kaitlyn Sprague makes contact during a game on Tuesday, May 6, 2025 against Batavia in Batavia. Sandy Bressner/Shaw Local News Network
Geneva's Jillian Bultmann throws to first during a game on Tuesday, May 6, 2025 against Batavia in Batavia. Sandy Bressner/Shaw Local News Network
Geneva's Chase Salnick makes a catch in the infield during a game on Tuesday, May 6, 2025 against Batavia in Batavia. Sandy Bressner/Shaw Local News Network
Batavia's Grace Sartain makes contact during a game on Tuesday, May 6, 2025 against Geneva in Batavia. Sandy Bressner/Shaw Local News Network
Batavia's Leah Paganelis gets Geneva's Megan O'Connor out at third during a game on Tuesday, May 6, 2025 in Batavia. Sandy Bressner/Shaw Local News Network
Batavia's Payton Kaefer pitches during a game on Tuesday, May 6, 2025 against Geneva in Batavia. Sandy Bressner/Shaw Local News Network
Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.